The Cost

The measure's own campaign and the certified ballot title put the annual set-aside at roughly $16–17 million to start — growing every year the budget grows. That money comes out of the General Fund's discretionary dollars: the roughly 10% of the city budget that isn't already legally committed, and that pays for the services Portlanders rely on most.

The fund that just got cut

To close this year's $170 million shortfall, Portland:

• laid off roughly 100 employees

• cut homeless services by $18 million (31%)

• cut Parks by $11.4 million

• cut Fire by $4.1 million

• and eliminated two 911 call-taker positions

Measure 26-267 takes at least $16 million more off the top of that same fund. Permanently.

$16 million a year is equivalent to…

• Six fire engine companies ($2.5M/yr each)

• ~109 police officers ($150,500/yr with benefits)

• ~14 neighborhood community centers' annual operations

• More than the entire Parks cut the city just made

Because the obligation is a percentage, it rises automatically. Over ten years, at the measure's own escalation, the set-aside exceeds $180 million — before counting a single dollar of administration, which the campaign itself estimates at $1 million a year and which ran far higher in Seattle.

Every dollar is a dollar the Council cannot budget, cannot bargain, and cannot restore — no matter what the next recession looks like.